Abstract

Purpose. A growing body of literature indicates the value of exploring the accounts offendersgive of their lives. This raises questions about whether offenders’ narratives, distinctive fromthose of non-offenders, elucidate the identity and agency processes that facilitate continuedoffending.Method. To explore this, 61 offenders and 90 non- offenders described their Life as a Film(LAAF).Results. Significant differences between the two samples are revealed across contentcategories relating to Implicit Content, Explicit Processes, Complexity and Agency. Theserelate to a central focus on criminality as a dominant aspect of identity, a generally negativeundertone, a concern with the materialistic within the narrative and the significant, yetproblematic nature, of relations with others. These four features capture a meta-narrative ofUnresolved Dissonance sustaining offending.Conclusion. The findings open the way for the use of the LAAF in order to explore ways ofresolving offenders Unresolved Dissonance, through reconstructing their narratives,complementing the Good Lives approach.